Archive of articles - November 2009, page 3
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September retail sales down 10% y-o-y
RETAIL sales in Slovakia in September were 9.2 percent less than a year ago. When compared with August, they increased by 1.1 percent. The TASR newswire published seasonally adjusted data from the Slovak Statistics Office on November 4.
Ready for shopping? Leave the city centre
Sightseeing is not the only activity tourists seek when visiting a city. Some visitors prefer New Bond Street to Trafalgar Square in London and Avenue des Champs Elysées to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. ‘High Streets’ and endless opportunities for window shopping and making unique purchases belong among tourist interests – for some people they are even at the top of their list. Enthusiasts of shopping tourism arriving in Bratislava, however, need to mostly bypass the city centre and have to look towards the more suburban shopping malls.
‘Utter woe betides a nation that ignores her history’
HIS EXILE was both involuntary and unplanned, yet he says he has never regretted his departure. Thousands of kilometres away from home, he had to start from nothing. But he soon gained renown greater than writers considered loyal to the totalitarian regime. Today, when he can freely visit his homeland, he stresses the importance of a country remembering its past and learning lessons from it.
Schools join 'footprint' scheme
Slovak schools are to take part in a new project to measure their environmental impact, or so-called ‘ecological footprint’. “The Slovak Environmental Agency (SAŽP) in cooperation with British experts has prepared an innovative educational programme called Ecological Footprint for Schools, the first of its kind in Slovakia. So far, only schools in the United Kingdom, Australia, Austria, and the Czech Republic are able to calculate their ecological footprint,” Jana Šimonovičová of the Centre of Environmental Education and Promotion of the SAŽP announced, adding that the goal of the programme was to make children from nursery, elementary and secondary schools aware of the impact of their everyday activities on the environment.
Recovering, albeit slowly
By the end of 2009 it has become obvious that pundits who were talking about the golden days of the real estate business were referring to times past when there were available funds for developers to wrap up their ambitious projects or start new ones, as well as for purchasers to buy a new home, relocate into a better office building or add to their industrial properties.
The Beverly Hills of the Záhorie region
ZÁHORSKÁ Bystrica, together with Dúbravka, Devínska Nová Ves and Lamač, are today parts of Bratislava. But when this photograph was taken by Eduard Hollub from Stupava in 1925, they were all independent towns.
Eurovea and River Park near completion
Before the global economic crisis reached central Europe, Slovakia was hitting double-digit economic growth and it fed a zest by customers for luxury residences as well as confidence by real estate developers that they could sell whatever projects they put on the drawing board. During those years several projects catering to those with fat wallets started construction and several other projects entered the pipeline.
New books in English now available
The Time of My Life. Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi. Simon & Schuster, 2009.
Quote of the week
"The party is not here to deal with diploma theses."
More shopping areas coming to Slovakia
AFTER years of thirsting for various kinds of shopping centres, malls and galleries, the number of such facilities has mushroomed across Slovakia. Now shopping areas of various shapes, sizes and colours are scattered on the outskirts of cities as well becoming dominant close to their centres. But because international developers have focused their attention more in neighbouring countries in the past, market watchers see still space in Slovakia for new shopping facilities to be built.
Shopping in Slovakia
Major retail chains in Slovakia:
38 nations at Christmas Bazaar
'The World Under One Roof' was the slogan for Bratislava's traditional Christmas bazaar, which was opened by Slovakia's First Lady Silvia Gašparovičová in the city's PKO Culture and Leisure Centre on Sunday, November 22.
Real estate consultants:Banks must grease the wheels
While admitting that the current situation is difficult, they are already seeing the first signs of recovery in the real estate sector and believe that good times for developers and investors will return. They also say that the financial markets are recovering in certain parts of Europe and hope that lending will improve in Slovakia too: the question is when. Leading real estate consultants agree that it is the banks that need to grease the wheels and provide funds to make real estate attractive again for purchasers and the industry. The Slovak Spectator spoke to Andrew Thompson, managing partner of Cushman & Wakefield, Jörg Kreindl, managing director of CB Richard Ellis and Peter Nitschneider, Associate Director and Head of Investment and Professional Services at King Sturge, about the pains and the prospects of the real estate market in Slovakia.
Foreign chambers slam strategic company law
TEN foreign chambers of commerce active in Slovakia have asked the president of the Slovak Republic in a letter to return the bill on strategic companies to parliament to be debated again.
Prime Minister calls election result a success for his party
Smer considers the result of the runoffs in the regional elections a success, said Prime Minister and party chairman Robert Fico, as reported by the SITA newswire.
Three of four regions elect candidates from Slovakia’s ruling government coalition
Three regions of the four that held runoff elections on Saturday November 28 for the posts of regional president will be headed by candidates supported by the state-level ruling coalition parties, according to the unofficial results published by Slovakia’s Central Election Committee.
Four of Slovakia’s regions to hold runoff elections today
ON SATURDAY, November 28, four of Slovakia's eight self-governing regions will decide on their new president in the second round of these elections.
Slovak central bank governor sees economic optimism returning
According to Slovak central bank (NBS) governor Ivan Šramko, the world has learned at least one thing from the crisis - that no country will from now on let big financial institutions fall. “The fall of a big institution within the system is the greatest mistake that a country can make,” said Šramko at the International Club meeting in Bratislava on November 26, as quoted by the TASR. He noted that optimism is returning on a global scale with regard to future economic development. “Uncertainty is decreasing and a period of more optimism is setting in, which is reflected on financial markets. From the view of consumption in the field of foreign demand, our economy is still sensitive to falling demand, which is in turn seen in our GDP,” he stated.
Election moratorium for round two of regional elections begins
The campaign for Saturday's second round of the regional elections has ended with an election moratorium now in place, the TASR newswire wrote.
Governance Institute says EU won't cover funds for social enterprises
Financial support reaching €26.56 million that has been provided to so-called social enterprises by the Slovak government using EU funds was unjustified, said board chairman of the Slovak Governance Institute (SGI) Miroslav Beblavý at a press conference on Thursday, November 26, the TASR newswire reported.
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- He designed Gatwick. But this is his masterpiece
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- The compass points to Kúty, and people are starting to follow
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners More articles ›
